FCC Backs Industry-Led Cybersecurity Regime

2/27/2012 12:01 AM Eastern

By: By John Eggerton

Washington — Federal Communications Commissionchairman Julius Genachowski last weekoutlined a multistakeholder-driven model for ISP cybersecuritymeasures that lines up with what cableoperators have long championed.

Genachowski even recognized cable operators forefforts to combat botnets — software that allows PCsto be remotely controlled for spam distribution or theftof personal info and one of three key threats he calledon Internet-service providers to help fight.

In remarks on cybersecurity at the Bipartisan PolicyCenter here last week, Genachowski said Comcast andCenturyLink had taken the lead in informing computerusers about potential threats from botnets withoutcompromising consumer privacy.

The multistakeholder approach, the chairman said, is arecognition that “almost all of our broadband infrastructureis owned and operatedby the private sector,” hesaid, a point cable operatorshave also made in seekingflexibility to manage theirnetworks to prevent cyberattacks.

The National Cable &Telecommunications Associationconcurred with thatnotion.

“We agree with ChairmanGenachowski that protectingour nation’s communicationssystems fromcyber-attack is best accomplishedthrough voluntarypublic-private partnerships rather than top-down governmentregulation,” the trade group said in a statement.“Best practices and other voluntary measures will give partiesthroughout the Internet ecosystem the flexibility theyneed to identify and respond to constantly evolving cyberthreats.”

Genachowski said FCC staff estimates of the costs of cybercrimeswere, at a minimum, in the tens of billions of dollarsannually “and growing.”

He called on those broadband stakeholders to increaseefforts to address three key threats: botnets, domain namefraud and IP-address hijacking. But he also said any effortsto combat those threats must respect Internet openness andprivacy.

Genachowski said ISPs should increase customer awarenessof bots, adding that if more ISPs followed the leads ofComcast and CenturyLink, “it could significantly reduce thebotnet threat.”

The chairman’s push for cybersecurity comes as the Senateis considering cybersecurity legislation and the House isin the midst of a series of hearings on the issue.